In Bangalore, journalists attacked outside courthouse

New York, March 2, 2012--Ten Indian journalists were reported
injured today after being attacked by a group of lawyers outside a court in the
city of Bangalore, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect
Journalists condemns the attack and calls on authorities to conduct an
immediate investigation.

The lawyers attacked the journalists with stones, iron
chairs, and flowerpots for almost an hour, according to news
reports. The violence subsided only after police officials began to use
tear gas to disperse the crowd, news reports said. The journalists, most of
whom were TV camera operators, as well as seven lawyers and about 30 policemen,
were all injured, news reports said.

The journalists were reporting on a high-profile trial
taking place that day at the courtroom that involved a former minister and allegations
of illegal mining, news reports said.

Motives for the attack varied. Some news accounts reported
that the lawyers were angered by what they considered to be one-sided coverage
of a protest in January that was triggered when a lawyer was detained by the
local police. But some news
outlets said the dispute occurred after the lawyers were angered by
television crews blocking the entrance to the courts.

Bangalore media interviewed several local government
officials who expressed outrage against the attack, which was widely broadcast
in the region. Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda said a judicial inquiry would
identify the culprits of the attack, news reports said.

"The government must follow through on punishing the people
responsible for attacking journalists," said Bob Dietz, CPJ's Asia program
coordinator. "Mere expressions of outrage must be followed by concrete police
action to bring prosecutions against those responsible."